Floor clean-up mechanism for continuous miner



March 17, 1959 c. w. FITZGERALD 2,377,882

FLOOR CLEAN-UP MECHANISM FOR CONTINUOUS MINER Filed Nov. 25, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR:

ATTORNEY March 17, 1959 c. w. FITZGERALD 2,877,882

FLOOR CLEAN-UP MECHANISM FOR CONTINUOUS MINER Filed Nov. 25, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet '2 |NVENTOR= CHARLES W, FITZGERALD /0-f vI l l l f l y ATTORNEY ATTORNEY March 17, 1959 c. w. FITZGERALD FLOOR CLEAN-OP MEOHANISM FOR CONTINUOUS MINOR Filed Nov. 25, 1955 lul;

fm1-c United States Patent FLOOR `CLEAN-UP MECHANISM FOR CONTINUOUS MINER Charles W. Fitzgerald, Franklin, Pa., assignor to Joy Manufacturing Company, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application November 25, 1955, Serial No. 548,882

16 Claims. (Cl. 198-9) This invention relates to oor clean-up mechanisms and more particularly to a floor clean-up mechanism especially designed for use with a continuous mining machine for cl'eaning up any loose mineral which may fall to the oor during the mining operation.

In a continuous mining machine of the type known as a Joy continuous miner, a mobile base carries a disintegrating head mechanism for tearing mineral from a solid mi-ne vein and conveying means on the base receives the disintegrated mineral discharged from the head mechanism and conveys it rearwardly of the machine to a convenient point of discharge. During the disintegrating operation some of the loose mineral may fall to the mine oor and must be cleaned up for eihcient operation of the machine. Various known forms of clean-up mechanisms have been devised for association with the disintegrating head mechanism of la continuous miner for cleaning up the mine iloor and-the present jinvention contemplates improvements overl such known types of clean-up mechanisms. l .y

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved iloor clean-up mechanism. Another object is to provide an improved iloor clean-up mechanism especially designed for use with a continuous mining machine for cleaning up the mine floor during the mining operation. A further object is to provide improved means for mounting the clean-up scrolls on the machine and for driving the scrolls. A still further object is-to provide improved stop means for limiting swinging movement of the conveyor scroll housings in vertical planes. Still another object is to provide improved pivotal mounting means for the conveyor scrolls for coniining swinging motion of the scrolls to vertical planes extending transversely of the machine with the scrolls swinging about parallel horizontal axes extending longitudinally of the machine. Another object is to provide improved tilting means'for the conveyor scrolls which are coordinated with the tilting means for the frontend of the conveyor. These and other objects and advantages of *the invention will, however, hereinafter more `fully appear in the course of the ensuing description.

' In the accompanying drawings there is shown for purposes of j illustration one form which the invention may assume in practice.

In these drawings:

fr 2,871,882 Patented Mar. 1'7, 1959 5-5 of Fig. 2, showing details of the clean-up mechanism.

Fig. 6 is a transverse vertical detail section taken on line 6 6 of Fig. 5, showing a scroll housing projection;

Fig. 7 isa transverse section taken on line 7-7 of Fig.'5, showing a scroll housing and conveyor sc'roll.

Figs. 8 and 9 are fragmentary side views, partially in section, showing the scroll housings in different tilted positions. i l

Fig. 10 is an enlarged detail horizontal section` taken on line 10-10 of Fig. 8, showing details of the stop means for the scroll housings.

Fig. 1l is a diagrammatic view showing the hydraulic fluid system.

The continuous mining machine or so-called Joy continuous miner is generally designated 1 and an, improved oor clean-up mechanism, generally designated 2,- is operatively associated therewith for cleaning up any loose mineral which has fallen to the mine floor during the mining operation. The mining machine may assume various forms but herein may desirably be of the same general character as that disclosed in the John D. Russell application Serial No. 102,995, filed July 5, 1949, now matured into Patent No. 2,798,714, dated July9, 1957, owned by the assignee of the present invention. l

The continuous mining machine 1 generally comprises a mobile base 3 having a frame 4 on which is pivotally mounted at 5 a disintegrating head mechanism 6. This disin-tegrating head mechanism comprises a swingable frame 7 about which a series of parallel endless disinte- `grating chains 8 are guided for circulation in vertical y'orbits and'at-the outer portion ofthe head frame at the Fig. 1 is a fragmentary plan view and Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side view of a continuons mining'machine 'tate illustration.

Fig. 4 is a section taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 3, looking down toward the conveying means and the clean-up mechanismf'f Fig.4 5 is an enlarged horizontal section taken on line outer sides of the parallel chains and'disposed in 'parallelism therewith are disintegrating wheels 9 which cooperate with the chains in the disintegration lof the mineral. Extensible iluid jacks or iluid cylinder devices 10 mounted at the sides -of the head frame 7 are voperatively connected through levers 11 and chain-links 12 for swinging the head mechanism 6 upwardly in vertical planes about its pivot. Carried by the baserframe is conventional conveyinglmeans 14 having a central endless drive chain 15 to which conveyor ilights 16 are attached at spaced intervals and the forward receiving portion of the conveying means extends forwardly and downwardly beneath the head pivot, as shown in Fig. 3. The endless drive chain 15 of the conveying means at .the forward portion of the latter passes around a sprocket 17 secured to a transverse horizontal foot shaft 18 which is journaled at the sides of the forward portion of a tiltable front portion 19 of a conveyor frame 20. The pivot for the tiltable forward portion of the conveyor frame is designated 21 (Fig. 3). Extensible uid jacks or uid motor cylinder devices 22 serve to tilt the frame portion '19 about its pivot to raise and maintain the forward portion of the conveying means above the floor level.

neath the foot shaft and this shoe may rest upon the mine iloor during operation of the clean-up mechanism. 4

The floor clean-up mechanism 2 may be generally similar to that disclosed in a copending application to John D. Russell Serial No. 141,137, filed January-28, '1950, now matured into Patent No. 2,744,607, granted May 8, 1956, of common ownership, and is adapted to gather loose mineral' on the mine floor and to move a portion of the mineral inwardly toward the front receiving portion of the conveying means and to pile up a substantial portion of mineral beneaththe disintegrating head. The disintegrating chains `of the head, when the latter is swung downwardly into its lowered position, may

engage the piled up mineral and move it forwardly, upwardly and then rearwardly for discharge onto the conveying means rearwardly ofthe front receiving portion of the latter, in the manner fully disclosed in the above mentioned application Serial No. 102,995, now Patent No. 2,798,714.

The floor-clean-up mechanism, in this illustrative construction, includes lateral brackets in the form of gear housings 25 rigidly attached to the vertical side plates 26 of the conveyor frame and rigidly held in position as by bolts and screws. The foot shaft 18 is suitably rotatably supported at its ends by bearings carried within the gear housings, as later described. The brackets or gear housings have lateral luglike projections 27 and 28 and sup- I ported within the projections 27 are pivot pins 29. These pivot pins carry bearing sleeves 30 which are fitted within openings 31 in spaced lugs 32 integral with a bracket 33 rigidly secured to scroll housings 34. The luglike projections 28 are spaced apart and have aligned openings 35 in which a pivot pin 36 is fitted and the bracket 33 has a projecting lug 37 disposed between the spaced lugs 28 and pivotally engaging the pivot pin 36. The pins29 and 36 are disposed in axial alignment and extend horizontally longitudinally of the machine. provide pivotal mountings for the scroll housings for confining the latter to tilting movement in vertical planes extending transversely of the machine.

.lournaled within the scroll housings are rotatable con- The -pivot pins veyor scrolls 38 having tubular bodies 39 to which spiral t flights or vanes 40 are secured as by welding. The scroll axes extend forwardly and inwardly at the sides of the conveying means as shown in Fig. 4 and the scrolls have free inner ends. The scroll bodies are suitably secured to a shaft 41 keyed at 42 to a sleevelike shaft 43 suitably journaled within gear housings 44 providing the outer portions of the scroll housings.

The chain 15 of the conveying means effects drive` of thefoot shaft 18 (Fig. 5) and this foot shaft is coupled at its ends at '45 to and is supported by aligned shafts 46 suitably journaled within the gear housings 25. Integral with the shafts 46 and arranged within the gear housings are spur gears 47 meshing with spur gears '48 secured to tubular shafts 49 likewise suitably journaled within bearings supported within the gear housings 25. Keyed at 50 within the tubular shafts 49 are elements of conventional universal joints 51. Shafts 52 are splined at their inner ends at 53 to the inner elements of the universal joints and at their outer ends at 54 tothe inner elements of conventional universal joints 55. The outer elements of the universal joints 55 are keyed at 56 to shafts 57 arranged in parallelism with the shafts 41 and likewise suitably journaled within the gear housings 44. Gears 58 journaled on the shafts 57 are connectedby toothed chatter clutches 59 to the shafts S7 and these clutches are loaded by springs 60 which may yield upon overload to'permit the clutches to slip. The gears `58 mesh with intermediate gears 61 which in turn mesh with and drive spur gears 62 formed integral with the shafts 43. Thus through the splined shafts and universal joints the conveyor scrolls may be driven irrepective of the tilted positions thereof about the axes of the pivot pins 29 and 36.

lThe scroll housings have longitudinal chambers 64 provided with curved inner surfaces and in which the conveyor scrolls are arranged with the inner ends of the scrolls projecting freely outwardly beyond the open inner ends of the chambers, as shown in Fig. 5, and the housings have downwardly extending front lip portions 65 (Fig. 7) for directing loose mineral rearwardly and upwardly toward the housing chambers as the clean-up mechanism is advanced over the mine floor. Bottom extensions 66 project longitudinally from the scroll housings beneath the free inner ends of the conveyor scrolls for directing the disintegrated mineral discharged from the scrolls inwardly toward the lfront receiving portion of the conveyong means with some ofthe mineralpiling 4 up on the mine floor in advance of the floor engaging shoe 23 of the conveyor frame.

Extending transversely from the sides of the parallel vertical side plates 26 of the conveyor frame, with their axes lying n a common transverse vertical plane, are extensible power jacks or fluid motors 67 comprising uid cylinders 68 containing reciprocable pistons 69 having their piston rods 70 pivotally connected at 71 to pivot pins supported by lateral lugs projecting outwardly from the frame plates 26 (Figs. 8, 9 and 10) to the cylinders 68 which are pivotally connected at 72 to pivot pins supported by vertical lugs integral with the scroll housings. Thus when fluid under pressure is properly supplied to the jack cylinders the conveyor scrolls may be swung in vertical planes about their pivots and by trapping iluid in the jack cylinders the conveyor scrolls may be held in elevated position. Conversely when the front conveyor frame portion is swung downwardly the scroll housings swing downwardly about their pivots. During the floor clean-up operation the fluid in the jack cylinders may be vented so that the scroll housings may ride freely over the mine floor with the scroll housings moving up and down about their pivots as they slide over an uneven floor or rolling bottom.

In this improved construction, stop means are provided for limiting Vthe opposite vertical swinging movements of the scroll housings and one of these stop means comprises a pair of parallel links '74 pivotally engaging a horizontal ypivot pin 75 supported by lateral lug 76 secured to the housings 25. The opposite ends of the links carry parallel pins 77 engaged in longitudinal slots 78 in vertical plates 79 secured to the scroll housings (Fig. 10). The axes of the pins 75 and 77 are disposed in parallelism with the axes of the pivot pins 29 and 36 for the scroll housings, and the links may swing `in vertical planes parallel to the vertical plane which includes the longitudinal axes of the power jacks 67, as shown in Figs. 4 and 10. Thus as the scroll housings swing downwardly in vertical planes about their pivots the ends of the-slots 78 engaging the pins 77 limit the swinging movement of the scroll housings in the downward direction. The other stop means for limiting upward swing of the scroll housings comprises abutment surfaces 80 on the plates 79 engaging abutment surfaces 80' on the lugs 76. As the scroll housings ride over an uneven floor the slotted links permit the scroll housings to swing freely up and down within normal limits, thereby to enable the scroll housings readily to follow the contour of the floor.

Now referring to the improved hydraulic fluid system operatively associated with the several jack cylinders, it will be noted that a conventional motor driven pump 8 1 (Fig. ll) has its intake side connected by a conduit-82 to a fluid tank or reservoir 83 and the discharge side of the pump is connected by a conduit 84 to the pressure passage of the valve box of a conventional control valve mechanism 85. The return passage of the valve box is connected by a conduit 86 back to the tank. Thev valve 'box has usual parallel bores which receive slide valves bore containing the slide valve 87 is connected by a conduit 89 to branch conduits 90 leading to the fluid cylinders of the power swing jacks 10 for the disintegrating head mechanism 6. The bore containing the-slide valve 88 is connected through a conduit 91 to branched conduits 92 leading to the fluid cylinders of the scroll elevating jacks 67. Also communicating with the conduit 91 is a conduit 93 connected by branched conduits 94 to the fluid cylinders of the tilting jacks 22 for the for ward tiltable portion 19 of the conveyor frame. The conduit 91 is connected by a conduit 95 through a conventional relief valve 96 to the discharge conduit 86 so that in the event pressure in the conduit 91 becomes excessive the pressure may be automatically relieved. Whenever ast/#gn tzylinders 22 toelevate the tiltablevportion 19 ofthe con'- veyor frame and ,concurrently ypressure uid may tiow through branch conduits 92 to the elevating jack cylinders for the scroll. housings.

portion of the conveying means is elevated, the conveyor scrolls are tilted upwardly about their pivots relative to the conveyor frame. Conversely when the forward portion of the conveying means are lowered the conveyor scroll housings concurrently swing downwardly about their pivots.

The general mode of use of the oor clean-up mechanism will be clearly apparent from the description given.

Thus due to the coordination 'of the jack cylinders 22 and 68, whenever the forward Whenthe slide valve 88 is positioned to vent the elevating loose mineral inwardly through the scroll chambers 64 to discharge toward the forward portion of the conveying means so that some of the loose mineral may be received by the conveying means and the remainder may pile up on the oor in front of the conveying means beneath the disintegrating head mechanism, in the manner fully disclosed in a copending application to John R. Sibley and Raymond J. Wacht, Serial No. 542,556, filed October 25, 1955, likewise owned by the assignee of the present invention. Thus as the disintegrating head mechanism Aoperates to dislodge and disintegrate the mineral of a solid mine vein in the. manner disclosed in the above mentioned copending application Serial No. 102,995, any loose mineral which may fall to the mine oor may be gathered by the conveyor scrolls and moved in a position to be received by the conveying means 14. During tramming of the continuous miner about the mine the forwardreceiving portion of the conveying means 14 may be elevated above the mine oor by the power jacks 22 and as the forward portion 19 of the conveyor frame fof the scroll housings andA supports and their ypivotal A,mountings not only provides for compactness and eii'- ciency but also provides for durability thereby rendering the clean-up mechanism well adapted for its intended purpose. By coordinating the tilt cylinders for the con yveying means with the elevating cylinders for the scroll 'housings the conveyor scrolls are swung about their `pivots whenever the conveying means is elevated. Other advantages of the invention will be clearly apparent to those skilled in the art. I

While there is in this application specifically described one form which the invention may vassume in practice, lit will'be understood that this form of the. same is shown for purposes of illustration and that the invention may be modified and embodied in various other forms without departing from its spirit or the scope of the .appended claims.

, What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

p A l. In a iiorv clean-up mechanism, a support movable yover the floor of a mine, conveying means on said support and having a front receiving portion, scroll housings pivotally mounted at the opposite sides of said' front receiving portion of said conveying means to tilt in vertical planes extending transversely of said conveying means and said support, conveyor scrolls journaled on said scroll housings and operating at the oor level, pivotal mounting means for said scroll housings 'for con- 1 ning the same to tilting movement about horizontal is tilted upwardly the scroll housings are concurrently swung upwardly about their pivots relative to the conveyor frame. Thus during tramming of the miner the floor clean-up mechanism isimaintained in an elevated out-of-theway position beneath the disintegrating head mechanism. Vertical swinging movement of the scroll housings in the downward direction about their pivots is limited by the stop pins 77 engaging the ends of the slots 78 while upward swinging of the scroll housings is limited by the abutment plates 79 engaging the lugs 76. Thus positive stops are provided at the limits of swing in opposite directions. By confining the pivotal motion of the conveyor scrolls about parallel longitudinally extending horizontal axes at opposite sides of the front receiving portion of the conveying means the structure is simplified and made more durable, while provision for free tilting of the scroll housings as they ride over an uneven floor is present.

As a result of this invention an improved floor clean-up mechanism is provided whereby any loose mineral which may fall to the mine oor during the mining operation may be electively and expeditiously cleaned up and loaded onto the conveying means of the mining machine with which the floor clean-up mechanism is associated. By the provision of the improved pivotal mountings for the conveyor scrolls the latter may readily follow the contour of an uneven oor or rolling bottom and may be readily swung into elevated position or lowered in an improved manner. The improved stop means limit tilt of the scroll housings in opposite directions while providing for free tilting of the housings as they ride over an uneven surface. The novel structural arrangement axes extending longitudinally of said support'along lines perpendicular to said transverse vertical planes,. and extensible power devices projecting laterally from` the sides of said conveying means with their longitudinal axes lying in a vertical plane parallel with the vertical planes of tilt of said scroll housings, said power devices being pivotally connected to said support and to said scroll housings with the pivots of the connections pivotally disposed in parallelism with the axes of tilt of vsaid scroll housings.

2. In a oor clean-up mechanism, a support movable over the floor of a mine, scroll housings projecting laterally from the opposite sides of said support, means for pivotally mounting said scroll housings on said support to tilt in vertical planes extending transversely of said support about parallel' horizontal axes extending longitudinally of said support along lines perpendicular to said transverse vertical planes, conveyor scrolls journaled on said scroll housings and operating at the floor level, and means for tilting said scroll housings upwardly about their pivotal axes, said pivotal mounting means confining the pivotal motion of said scroll housings to said transverse vertical planes in all tilted positions of said housings.

3. A floor clean-up mechanism as set forth in claim 2 wherein said tilting means for said scroll housings com prises extensible power devices projecting laterally from the sides of said support with their longitudinal axes lying in a common vertical plane disposed in parallelism with the transverse vertical planes of tilt of said scroll housings.

4. A door clean-up mechanism as set forth in claim 2 wherein means is provided for limiting the range of tilt of said scroll housings in one direction relative to said support, said limiting means comprising stop pins on one part received in slots in another part with the ends of the slots limiting the movement of said pins in one direc tion.

5. In combination, conveying means having a tiltable forward portion, oor clean-up devices projecting laterally from the oppoiste sides of said tiltable forward portion and adapted to operate at the oor level, means for pivotally mounting said devices on said tiltable forward portion for tilting movement in upright planes relative to said tiltable forward portion, means for tilting said forward portion, and means coordinated with said tilting means for concurrently tilting said clean-up devices in upright planes about theirpivots relative to said tiltable forward portion concurrently with tilting of the latter.

6. A combination as set forth in claim wherein said tilting means for said forward portion comprises fluid motors and said tilting means for said gathering devices comprises uid motors and means for operatively connecting said last mentioned fluid motors in series with said rst mentioned uid motors. l

7. A'combination as set forth in claim 6 wherein but a single control valve is provided for effecting the supply of operating fluid concurrently to both sets of said fluid motors.

8. A floor clean-up mechanism comprising, in combination, a support movable over the oor of a `mine, scroll housings projecting laterally from the sides of said support, conveyor scrolls journaled on said housings and operating at the oor level for gathering loose mineral on the Hoor, said scrolls inclined forwardly and inwardly and projecting freely at their inner ends beyond the inner ends of said housings, and projections secured to said housings and extending inwardly longitudinally thereof beneath said free ends of said scrolls for directing the mineral discharged from said scrolls in an inward direction.

9. A oor clean-up mechanism as set forth in claim 8 wherein said scroll housings have scroll receiving charnbers provided with curved inner surfaces conforming to the curvature of the exteriors of said scrolls, and said longitudinal projections have curved upper surfaces providing continuations of curved surfaces of the lower portions of said scroll chambers.

10. In combination, a support movable over the floor of a mine, a scroll housing projecting laterally from said support and a conveyor scroll journaled on said scroll housing and operating at the floor level, means for' pivotally mounting said scroll housing on said support to tilt in vertical planes extending transversely of said support and comprising a bracket secured to the adjacent side of said support, said bracket having spaced lateral lugs supporting pivot pins arranged in spaced apart axial alignment, said scroll housing having spaced perforated lugs pivotally engaging said pivot pins, said 'pivotal mounting means conning said scroll housing to tilting movement about a horizontal axis extending longitudinally of said support along a line perpendicular to said transverse vertical planes.

111. A floor clean-up mechanism as set forth in claim 10 wherein an extensible power device is pivotally mounted on said support and is arranged transversely of said support with its longitudinal axis lying in a vertical plane extending transversely of said support and is operatively connected to the upper portion of said scroll housing, the pivotal axes of said power device and its pivotal connection with said scroll housing being permanently arranged fin parallelism with the pivotal axis of said 'scroll housing.

12. A floor clean-up mechanism as set forth in clairn 10 wherein stop means is provided for limiting vertical tilt` of said scroll housing in either direction including a slotted vertical plate secured to the upper portion of said scroll housing and a stop pin movably connected to said support and engaged in the slot of said slotted plate, said pin and slotted plate limiting the tilt of said scroll housing in one direction while permitting limited free tilt of said scroll housing in the opposite direction.

13. A floor clean-up mechanism as set forth in claim 12 wherein said stop means also includes coacting abutment elements on said support and scroll housing for limiting the range of tilt of said scroll housing in the opposite direction.

14. A floor clean-up mechanism as set forth in claim 12 wherein said stop means includes an abutment surface on said support engageable by a surface on said vertical plate for limiting the tilt of said scroll housing in the opposite direction.

15. A floor clean-up mechanism as set forth in claim 3 wherein stop means is provided disposed in planes parallel with said common vertical plane for limiting tilting movement of said scroll housings in opposite directions.

16. A lloor clean-up mechanism comprising a support, a scroll housing pivotally mounted at one side of said support to tilt in transverse vertical planes about a horizontal axis permanently extending longitudinally of said support along a line perpendicular to said transverse vertical planes, an extensible power device arranged with its longitudinal axis lying in a vertical plane parallel with said planes of tilt of said scroll housing, and stop means disposed in transverse vertical planes for limiting the range of tilt of said scroll housing in either direction.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,672,332 Wiebe Mar. 16, 1954 2,798,711 silver ru1y 9, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 721,672 France Dec. 22, 1931 

